Interview with Jill Wenger from Totokaelo

Direct anyone who tries to tell you Seattle is not a fashion-forward city to Totokaelo and they will come back humbled. Check out this inspirational interview with visionary shop owner Jill Wenger.

Describe the ‘two purposes’ of Totokaelo.
“Shop and Talk” and “Clothing and People Clothing.” Our goal is to source the strongest artists and thinkers in the fashion world today. We edit the collections to represent our aesthetic, consistently choosing pieces that are timeless, versatile, and well crafted.

Totokaelo believes in building a tightly curated wardrobe by (1) learning about your frame and what silhouettes are the most flattering, and (2) being realistic about your lifestyle and what in your wardrobe you gravitate toward.

I love the Pacific Northwest practicality of the styles and aesthetic Totokaelo represents. We strive to make dressing for “circumstance” (ie. comfort, weather, reality, life, rain and more rain), sexy and cool. Fabrics are sturdy with minimal prints. We like outfits that look easy- like they were just thrown together (ah, if only it were that simple). As a buyer, I have little tolerance for superfluous details or frills. I like clothes that feel good on and have pockets. As trends come and go, quality materials and superior craftsmanship stand the test of time. Practical, right?

The people: We put our own flare on things, both in our styling and in our client service. I LOVE my team. Each person has a unique style and stand-out personality. I feel that the girls that work for me and the photographers and talent involved are real-deal great people worth knowing. In a world of endless amounts of stuff, relationships matter.

My crew is the only resource I have that can’t be copied by another business. This is something we think about at Totokaelo: if a shop opened up next door with an identical build-out and the same merchandise, why would people shop with us? Relationships. We love our clients. We go above and beyond to be authentic and honest with people. Our goal is to deliver a consistent, thoughtful, and personalized shopping experience unmatched by other retailers.

Talk about the ‘story’ of your shop.
Totokaelo came about due to the success of the website (of the same name), which launched last May. The space is amazing, with 18-foot ceilings and an all-glass front. The natural light streams in and the space just feels good.

It’s all hand-done. Everything is custom and relevant. The black fixture that runs down the middle of the store is the same dimension as the black bar that runs along the bottom of the website.

Nothing is out of a box. Each piece is relevant and special, nothing superfluous.

What was the inspiration behind starting your business?
I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur. In third grade I asked for an adding machine for Christmas. Along with computations, filing make-believe appointments into date books was another favorite.

I studied business management in college and left college with hopes to just learn something well enough so that I could do it myself. Looking back, I didn’t quite know retail well enough to start where I did, but I learned as I went and it worked out.

Who are your role models and/or mentors?
I’m super close to my Dad. We touch base daily, and I couldn’t have gotten this far without him. And I think Jeremy Piven’s Entourage character, Ari, is amazing. He gets so much done so quickly. I like that.

People would be surprised to know…
When I started Impulse, I was 26 years old and didn’t have startup capital for inventory, so I sold handmade items on consignment from Portland and Seattle designers. This was 2003. Six years later and I have two stores and a website and represent some of the worlds most influential collections.